Branciforte family


Branciforte is the name of an influential Sicilian aristocratic family of Italian nobles, clergy, and men of arts, from the 9th century. Tradition has it the family began with Obizzo Branciforte, a knight who fought under Charlemagne.

History

The first to settle permanently from Piacenza on Sicilian soil was Guglielmo Branciforti under King Frederick II, [Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick I], but already at that time the family was considered important in Sicily. He was in fact preceded by some years by Aloisia Branciforte, who married Orlando I Grifeo Maniace, 5th Baron of Partanna and Strategote of Messina in 1275. Guglielmo died during a duel in Catania in 1347; he left the Piacenza possessions to his brothers Bosso and Gaspare, while the lands in Sicily went to his nephews Raffaello and Ottaviano, sons of a third brother, Stefano, who was in charge of collecting duties and controlling the traffic of goods in the Port of Licata, as well as rational master of the Kingdom.
Giovanni, son of Raffaele, a man of arms, under Frederick III the Simple "reduced to royal obedience", the city of Piazza and thus received it as a gift from the same sovereign, also obtaining the title of Baron. From King Martin I he also received the fortress and the fiefdom of Grassuliato, in addition to the fiefdoms of Condrò and Gatto.
In the 17th century, Niccolò Branciforte, [1st Prince of Leonforte] married the noblewoman Caterina Branciforti e Barresi, daughter of Fabrizio Branciforte, [3rd Prince of Butera], with whom he had seven children: Giuseppe, Agata, Maria, Francesco Branciforte, [4th Prince of Butera|Francesco], Caterina, Placida and Margherita. The latter were destined for religious life and entered the monastery of the Chiesa di San Francesco delle Stimmate in Palermo with the names of Sister Placida Caterina, Sister Agata Rosalia, Sister Caterina Giuseppa. The prince then married, as a second wife, Donna Francesca D'Urso with whom he had Caterina Anna in 1637 in Leonforte, who was then married to Don Antonio Raccuja, a nobleman from Partinico, generating a collateral branch of the family.
Starting from Fabrizio Branciforte, 3rd Prince of Butera, many members of the family have held important positions in the Kingdom of Sicily. Among them are Giuseppe Branciforti, the vicar general of the Kingdom for the grain supply in 1671, Supreme Prefect of the Sicilian Cavalry, decorated with the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, the highest honor of the House of Savoy.
In 1805, Stefania Branciforte, 12th Princess of Butera, daughter of Niccolò Placido Branciforte and Caterina Branciforte, sole heir of the Branciforte estate and titles, married Giuseppe Lanza, 8th Prince of Trabia, an archaeologist and Director of Fine Arts in Sicily, bringing as a dowry all the titles and fiefs of the Branciforte family. Their descendants took the surname Lanza-Branciforte.

Notable members

Princes of Butera (1563)

''End of the Branciforte family and beginning of the Lanza-Branciforte''

Princes of Leonforte (1622)

Princes of Scordia (1628)

  • 1628–1658: Antonio Branciforte, 1st Prince of Scordia, son of Ercole Branciforte, 1st Duke of San Giovanni.
  • 1658–1688: Ercole Branciforte, 2nd Prince of Scordia, son of the preceding.
  • 1688–1720: Giuseppe Branciforte, 3rd Prince of Scordia, son of the preceding.
  • 1720–1780: Ercole Branciforte, 4th Prince of Scordia, son of the preceding.
  • 1780–: Giuseppe Branciforte, 5th Prince of Scordia , son of the preceding.
  • –1806: Niccolò Branciforte, 6th Prince of Scordia, son of the preceding; married Maria Caterina Branciforte, 11th Princess of Butera, Pietraperzia, and Leonforte
  • 1806–1843: Stefania Branciforte, 7th Princess of Butera, daughter of the preceding; married Giuseppe Lanza, 8th Prince of Trabia.
''End of the Branciforte family and beginning of the Lanza-Branciforte''

Dukes of San Giovanni (1587)

Counts of Mazzarino (1507)

''Title merged with the Princes of Butera ''

Barons of Mazzarino

  • Stefano Branciforte, 1st Baron
  • Raffaelo Branciforte, 2nd Baron
  • Federico Branciforte, 3rd Baron
  • Niccolò Branciforte, 4th Baron
  • Federico Branciforte, 5th Baron
  • Niccolò Branciforte, 6th Baron
  • Giovanni Branciforte, 7th Baron
''Elevated to Counts of Mazzarino ''